End to Parliament impasse in sight, Lok Sabha may take up bill on exam reforms today
Parliamentary proceedings in the Monsoon Session 2026 resumed after a period of disruption, following outreach by the Lok Sabha Speaker to restore normal business.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was listed for discussion in the Lok Sabha.
Multiple amendment notices were tabled on the Bill ahead of the scheduled debate.
A separate discussion on the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 — which seeks to extend statutory protection to the national song "Vande Mataram" — was scheduled to begin in the Rajya Sabha.
Disruption of Proceedings and Suspension of Members (Rules 374 and 374A, Lok Sabha)
Parliamentary business frequently stalls when members obstruct proceedings; the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha give the Speaker specific tools to restore order, distinct from the political question of who is at fault.
Key Details
- Rule 374 empowers the Speaker to "name" a member who disregards the Chair's authority or wilfully obstructs business; the House then votes on a motion to suspend that member for up to the remainder of the session.
- Rule 374A provides for automatic suspension (without a House vote) of a member who enters the well of the House or persistently obstructs business by sloganeering; the suspension lasts five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is shorter.
- A suspension can be revoked earlier if the House passes a motion to that effect.
- The Rajya Sabha has an analogous provision (Rule 256) for suspension of members.
A prolonged impasse in the Monsoon Session had stalled the House's business; Speaker-level outreach to end the deadlock is a procedural mechanism distinct from, and preceding, any use of the naming/suspension power under Rules 374/374A.
Legislative Process for an Ordinary Bill (Articles 107, 108, 111)
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 is an ordinary (non-Money) Bill, so its passage follows the general legislative procedure under Part V of the Constitution.
Key Details
- Article 107 lays down the procedure for introduction and passing of ordinary Bills; such a Bill may originate in either House and must be passed by both Houses in the same form before it goes to the President.
- Article 108 provides for a joint sitting of both Houses to resolve a deadlock on an ordinary Bill (never applicable to Money Bills or Constitutional Amendment Bills); if the Bill fails even at the joint sitting, it lapses with no further recourse.
- Article 111 requires that once passed by both Houses, a Bill go to the President for assent; for an ordinary Bill, the President may return it once for reconsideration, but must assent if it is passed again with or without amendments.
- Only 17.6% of Bills taken up in the 17th Lok Sabha were referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees for detailed scrutiny before consideration, down from 71% in the 15th Lok Sabha — a relevant Mains discussion point on legislative scrutiny.
The scheduling of the Bill for discussion is the "consideration and passage" stage of the Article 107 process; amendment notices tabled by members are a normal part of this stage before the Bill can be put to a final vote.
Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 being taken up in the Rajya Sabha amends a pre-existing law that criminalises specific acts of disrespect toward national symbols.
Key Details
- The 1971 Act currently penalises insults to the National Flag, the Constitution of India, and the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana).
- It does not currently contain a specific provision covering the National Song, Vande Mataram.
- The 2026 Amendment Bill seeks to extend equivalent statutory protection to Vande Mataram, coinciding with commemorations marking 150 years since its composition.
This Bill's discussion in the Rajya Sabha is a separate legislative item moving in parallel with the Public Examinations Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha during the same Monsoon Session.
- Constitutional basis for ordinary Bill procedure: Articles 107, 108 (joint sitting), and 111 (assent) of the Constitution of India.
- Rule 374 (naming and House vote) and Rule 374A (automatic suspension for up to 5 sittings) govern member suspension in the Lok Sabha.
- Bills referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees: 71% (15th Lok Sabha) → 25% (16th Lok Sabha) → 17.6% (17th Lok Sabha).
- The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 currently protects: National Flag, Constitution of India, National Anthem.